Name as a Raider : Coronel
Schiff No. : 14
Raider Letter : ‘K’
Previous Name : Woermann Line’s ‘Togo’
Year of Build : 1938
Builder : Bremen Yard
Tonnage : 5,054
Propulsion : Diesel Engine
Speed : 17 knots
Dimensions : 405 x 57 x 21 feet
War Patrols : None – failed numerous attempts to break out to the open sea
In Command : Captain Ernst Thienemann
Ships Taken : None
Victims : None
Fate : Converted for raiding at Holland;s Wilton Yard, and completed at Stettin, it was planned that ‘Coronel’ would break out from the Baltic in February 1943. During her attempt to break out she was severely damaged by bombing at the hands of British Whirlwind aircraft and returned to Boulogne for repairs and to land the dead and wounded. During a subsequent attempt to break out, the raider was damaged by British Hudson aircraft with more crew killed and injured, and her magazine and rudder room torn apart. After this she returned to Germany for major repairs and reverted to her old name of ‘Togo’ for employment as a radar fighter-control ship. She was again bombed several times during 1945 whilst bringing troops back from Poland and East Prussia. She survived the war however and was passed over to the Americans for repatriation of Polish POW’s. Later she was sold to the Norwegian Government who used her for transporting occupying forces in Germany. In 1954 she was sold off to private interests and was later purchased by her original Owners and re-named ‘Togo’ once more. She was still around in the 1980’s at least.

An excellent article Angus.
Here are details and some photos for the CORONEL in her post-war life. I did log her myself as TOGO passing Hoek van Holland on 6/9/1966 and have a feeling she was at Hull at a later date also.

Thanks for that, George. Now that I think of it, I am sure I saw a photograph of her as a shipwreck, still intact, and very close under a hilly land mass. Wish I could remember where. I'm sure I will have it somewhere but where is the question.

To see more on the loss of the Kormoran and her mutual destruction with the Australian light cruiser HMAS Sydney,
please proceed to the new HMAS Sydney thread to learn more, under the war at sea here on this very site.
Thanks. E28

Who is online

About Us

ClydeMaritime is a resource for all shipping news on the Clyde and beyond.

In addition to this forum, our main website contains listings for Arrivals and Departures on the Clyde, historical information and articles related to the Clyde and details of Cruise Ship visits and much more.